SB 321 

.US 



le Practical Farm Library | 



^S 



vmmmnM i MMnm ' i i mMMmmmwmwm i 




MAKING SPECIAL 
CROPS PAY 

DijDelbert Utter 




mnininiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i n ii iiiiiii i iiiiii 




4 



The Phelps Publishing Company 

NewYork Springfield Mass. ChicaSo 



2=S 






b 



••'! 
t 




Fine Celery Boxed for Exhibition 

Celery is a special crop that brings much profit to those who 
have suitable soil and have learned how to grow and market 
it. It needs rich, moist ground, and thrives particularly well 
in reclaimed swamps and on peaty or mucky bottoms. Much 
hand labor is required in growing, blanching and preparing 
the crop for market, but well-grown, well-blanched, crisp, solid, 
tender heads always command a good price. Celery is essen- 
tially a crop for the skillful grower 







Pi 
< 



K 
W 
H 

O 

H 

H 

< 

w 

H 

Q 

I— t 

a 
X 
H 



MAKING 
SPECIAL CROPS PAY 



By 
DELBERT UTTER 



The author is a very successful Wisconsin farmer who formerly 
conducted a general farm, with grain the chief crop. He 
saw the need of growing other crops to increase the 
income, and from a >mall beginning with a half- 
acre of sweet com, he has built up a large 
business growing a few special crops 
for a market 20 miles away 



THE PHELPS PUBLISHING COMPANY 

SPRINGFIELD. MASSACHUSETTS 

1913 






Copyright, 1913 

Phelps Publishing Company 

Springfield, Mass. 



FEB 3 1914 



©CI.Aa62433 
♦MS/ 



Table of Gontents 



PAGE 

CHAPTER I 
Introductory Remarks by the Author 1 

CHAPTER n 
Growing Truck Crops for Profit 3 

CHAPTER HI 
Maintaining Plant Food Supply 13 

CHAPTER IV 
Making Money From Cantaloupes 25 

CHAPTER V 
Strawberries for Every Garden 32 

CHAPTER VI 
The Succulent Sweet Corn 38 

CHAPTER VII 
Some Special Crops 43 

CHAPTER VIII 
Shall We Irrigate? 48 

CHAPTER IX 
Reclaim the Marsh Lands 55 

CHAPTER X 
Costs and Profits 57 



CHAPTER I 

Introductory Remarks by the Tluthor 

Looking for the "pot of gold" at the foot of the 
rainbow, we often fail to grasp opportunities that lie 
within the easy reach of our hands. 

Among us farmers this foot of the rainbow some- 
times seems to rest in the Everglades of Florida ; again 
in the Panhandle of Texas ; still again in the orchard 
country of the irrigated districts of the mountain 
regions or in the great Northwest, where wheat is 
grown by the section, instead of by the acre. 

Many of our farmers are moving to these lands of 
promise, or are sending their good money there for in- 
vestment Alluring announcements of agents who are 
promoting the sale of lands owned by speculators paint 
word pictures that coax the money away from many 
who are anxious to better their financial condition. 

I do not question that good opportunities are to 
be found in the West, providing good judgment is used 
in selecting the right kind of soil, in the right place. 
However, too many times the buyer finds out, when it 
is too late, that the promoter, not the investor, is hold- 
ing the pot of gold. 

The same investment in developing the waste 
acres of our home farms by the young farmers who are 
looking for a new country might often make a greater 
profit, at the same time allowing the farmers to remain 
in a country where social and educational conditions 
are established and favorable. Their sons and daugh- 
ters would enjoy advantages that will be possible only 
for the second generation in a new country. 

The waste acres to which I refer may be acres on 



I MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

the average farm that can be made more productive by 
more intensive methods of cultivation, or by breeding 
a better grade of Hve stock. "Feiver acres and more 
per acre" is a good motto to hang on the wall. 

Extensive farming has always best suited the 
American farmer. He has inclined toward big fields, 
sulky plows and riding cultivators, and he is slow in 
adopting new methods, or in growing other than staple 
crops. 

However, the farmers' sons of today realize that 
the opportunities of acquiring large farms are few and 
far between, and that if they wish to remain on the 
land and prosper they must adopt some system of small 
crop farming. 

Many years ago, through the division of the home 
farm, I came into possession of 80 acres, after having 
been trained in growing grain and breeding sheep for 
wool production. I was forced to adopt intensive 
methods, and grow crops that would produce more in- 
come than ordinary farm crops. 

My soil being well adapted to producing early 
potatoes and sweet corn, I began in a small way to 
grow a few acres of each as a side line. After a few 
years the truck crops were the headliners, the dairy and 
other crops becoming of secondary importance. 

There are today many young men in the farm 
homes of the middle west who are in the same position 
that I was in 40 years ago. To them I trust my experi- 
ence will be of interest and value. 



CHAPTER II 

Growing Truck Grops for Profit 

Truck farming is a business to grow into, not sim- 
ply to "go into." The truck farmer, growing his great 
variety of garden crops, must acquire more knowledge 
and give his crops more care and attention than does 
the general farmer who plants only staple crops. Suc- 
cess depends primarily upon location. The profitable 
truck farm must be near a good market, or where the 
best of shipping facilities can be secured. 

IDEAL SOIL FOR TRUCK GROWING 

The ideal truck soil is a mellow, sandy loam, lying 
nearly level. Under such conditions cultivation is more 
effective and there is little loss of fertility and washing 
out or covering of plants during heavy rains. A liberal 
amount of fertility must be applied. A large portion 
of this should be stable manure, since it is of the utmost 
importance that the soil be supplied with a large amount 
of organic matter to keep it in the proper mechanical 
condition. 

HUMUS FOR THE SOIL 

When the land is cropped every year, as it must 
be in growing vegetables, conditions are different than 
when a rotation is followed, as in general farming. 
Humus or decaying vegetable matter must be supplied, 
both by the use of stable manure and by growing cover 
crops. When possible, it is best to grow for this pur- 
pose leguminous crops — clover, cowpeas, soy beans, 
vetches — which will add fertility to the soil by taking 



4 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

nitrogen from the air. Decomposition is more rapid 
in sandy soils than in heavier soils. There is, there- 
fore, a greater loss of soil fertility unless we keep a 
crop growing continuously during the growing season. 

It is often said that any fertile soil will produce 
good garden crops. This may be true to the extent of 
growing vegetables for family use, but to succeed in 
market gardening a garden soil must be selected. 

For early vegetables and for tomatoes and melons, 
a rich sandy loam, with a porous subsoil that is under- 
laid with a bed of clay at a depth of five or six feet, 
is ideal. An abundance of manure must be supplied 
to provide humus as well as the necessary elements of 
fertility. Such a soil, handled with intelligence, will 
be in the best condition to make use of the plant food, 
moisture, heat and air that work together to produce a 
good crop. 

For the late crops and for cabbage, cauliflower and 
celery, a dark-colored loam soil should be selected. 
Much of the reclaimed swamp land makes the very 
best place to grow these crops. 

When we say a place is suitable for growing vege- 
tables, we mean particularly that the physical condi- 
tions are good. When well drained such soil as above 
described is capable of conserving the proper amount 
of moisture, and when well cultivated will admit the 
needed amount of heat. Vegetables will then grow 
that are of good form and quality. 

All soils with a retentive subsoil should be tile- 
drained, the work being perfectly planned and exe- 
cuted. Should water stand for even a few hours on 
the land, a season's crop may be lost. Soil that is well 
drained allows heat and air to penetrate to a greater 
depth and withstands drought better than when drain- 
age is lacking or imperfect. 



GROWING TRUCK CROPS FOR PROFIT D 

PREPARATION OF THE SOIL 

The ground should be thoroughly cultivated before 
planting. Disk before plowing, thereby mixing manure 
with the soil, then plow as deep as the nature of soil 
will permit. Follow this with the leveler, disk, roller 
and smoothing harrow, until the soil is in the finest 
tilth and so firm that a horse will sink only to half the 
depth of his hoofs. 

USE OF FERTILIZERS 

While we may apply the most liberal amount of 
fertility in the form of manure, yet, early in the season, 
before there is enough heat to unlock and make avail- 
able the elements of fertility already in the soil, the 
plants make little growth. An application of some kind 
of soluble nitrogen may be needed at this time to give 
the plant a good start. Nitrate of soda used at this 
period at the rate of 100 to 200 pounds to the acre will 
prove very beneficial. Potash also very often can be 
used profitably for crops that take a large amount of 
that element. 

Success in market gardening depends upon keep- 
ing the soil supplied with an abundance of plant food. 

SEED SELECTION IS IMPORTANT 

No seed but the very best is profitable. Grow the 
varieties that mature perfectly on your own ground 
and purchase others from dealers and growers that 
have a reputation for reliability. 

No gardener should risk his crop without testing 
his seed, unless he has implicit confidence in the source 
from which it came. Seeds of all vine crops are better 
if not used until the second or third season after sav- 
ing. Such seed can be tried for quality by purchasing 



b MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

enough for two seasons, planting a part of the crop 
from new seed and noting results. 

The price of seed is of the least importance, yet 
a high-priced seed does not necessarily signify good 
quality. A single pound of seed sometimes produces 
$1,000 worth of produce; consequently it means every- 
thing to have the best seeds. 

CULTIVATION FOR CROP GROWTH 

Cultivation should be frequent and thorough. 
Begin as soon as possible after planting. Shallow work 
after plants have made much root growth should be 
insisted upon, using an attachment on the cultivator to 
adjust it at the proper depth, which should not exceed 
two inches. The tools used should be the best of their 
kind and should be kept bright and sharp. A file should 
be carried to the field and cultivator and hoes sharpened 
often. The necessary tools are a steel plow, disk, fine- 
tooth harrow, leveler, roller, horse weeder and culti- 
vator, wheel and hand hoes, adjustable marker, seeder, 
planter, rakes, spade and spading fork. 

SOME PROFIT-PAYING VARIETIES 

Choose your varieties according to the demand of 
the market in which you sell your products, at the same 
time considering their adaptability to your soil and 
their yielding capacity. It is better to cater to the tastes 
of your customers than to try to educate their tastes 
to the kinds you may think are best. 

No list of varieties can be recommended for all 
markets and all localities, yet there are standard varie- 
ties that yield well and are popular in most markets. 
The partial list given here has proved good in my own 
gardens, or in the gardens of growers with whom I am 
acquainted. 



GROWING TRUCK CROPS FOR PROFIT 7 

Asparagus : Palmetto and Early Argenteuil. 

Bush beans: Golden Wax, Curriers' Rust-Proof 
Wax, Stringless Green Pod. Refugee. 

Lima beans : Siebert's Early, for pole ; Thorburn's 
Bush Lima. 

Cabbage: Early Jersey Wakefield, Premium Flat 
Dutch, Mammoth Rock Red, Danish Ball Head. 

Beets : Egyptian, Early Blood Turnip, Eclipse. 

Cauliflower : Extra Early Erfurt, Early Snowball. 

Carrots : Half Short Oxheart. Half Long Danvers. 

Celery : Improved White Plume, Golden Self- 
Blanching, Giant Golden Heart. 

Sweet corn: Golden Bantam, Mammoth White 
Cory, Prenio, Country Gentleman, Chicago Market, 
Crosby, Early Evergreen, Stowell's Evergreen. 

Cucumber : White Spine, Improved Long Green. 

Eggplant : New York, Early Dwarf Purple. 

Lettuce : Improved Hanson, Grand Rapids, Dea- 
con, New York. 

Muskmelon: Emerald Gem, Rocky Ford, Osage, 
Tip Top. 

Watermelon: Phiney's Early, Kolb's Gem, Early 
Jumbo. 

Onion : White, Early Barletta ; yellow. Globe Dan- 
vers ; red. Large Wethersfield, Large Globe. 

Peas : Extra Early Alaska, Gradus, Nott's Ex- 
celsior, Telephone, Juno, Market Master. 

Potatoes : Early Ohio, Rural New Yorker, Car- 
man. 

Squash : Giant Golden Summer, Crookneck, Hub- 
bard. 

Turnip: Early Milan Purple Crown, Red Top 
Globe-Shaped. Purple Top White Globe. 

Tomatoes : Beauty, Dwarf Stone, Dwarf Cham- 
pion. 



8 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

Radish : Early Scarlet Globe, Early Scarlet Olive 
Shaped, Improved Chartier. 

MONEY MAKERS IN THE GARDEN 

Along with a variety of crops, certain specialties 
often pay well. These should be the products best 
adapted to your soil and in best demand in )^our mar- 
kets. The perishable vegetables and those known as 
delicacies are the most profitable if they can be deliv- 
ered in perfect condition. 

EARLY MARKETS MOST PROFITABLE 

Early stuff in the home market is what makes the 
most profit. Make every effort therefore to forward 
the crops to early maturity. This is accomplished by 
preparing the soil in the best possible manner, using 
good seed and cultivating the crop thoroughly at every 
stage of its growth. Many crops can be forwarded by 
starting plants in greenhouse or hotbed ; these plants 
should be transplanted several times and well hardened 
before planting in the open ground. 

USING THE HOTBED 

As soon as the seeds are planted glass is put on and 
the bed is allowed to heat up to 100 degrees during the 
day, and should not drop below 60 degrees at night. 
When the plants are up, which is in about four days, 
the sashes are raised during the hottest part of the 
day. If half cloth sashes are used, there is less danger 
of injury from too much heat. The cloth should be 
treated with a coating made of boiled linseed oil and 
eggs, mixed thoroughly, using two eggs to each pint 
of oil. 

As the plants grow, thin them so as to insure for 
each one plenty of room for maximum growth. After 



in 

H 
> 

CO 

2 
in 



50 



o 

o 

o 

o 

n 

o 



o 
c 
2; 
o 

O 

o 
W 
> 

50 

o 





'A 
< 

-J 

U 

2 
05 
W 

w 

K 

[d 

W 

K 
o 



Q 
O 
O 

O 

< 



GROWING TRUCK CROPS FOR PROFIT 9 

the fourth week the plants should be gradually hard- 
ened off and when weather conditions warrant, trans- 
planted to the field. The earth removed with the roots 
in transplanting should be saturated with water, thus 
enabling the plants to withstand a period of drought. 
The ground should be plowed early in spring and 
disked and harrowed several times at intervals of a 
week or lo days. This preparation puts the soil in 
the finest tilth. Make the rows six feet each way 
and place the surface of the mat of earth or sod ad- 
hering to the roots so that it will be covered an inch 
deep. 

SOME GOOD GARDEN TOOLS 

There has been as great improvement in tools for 
the gardener as for the farmer, with the exception that 
the gardener usually walks. The first requisite in a 
tool is that with it perfect work can be performed, not 
that it has a comfortable seat and canopy top. 

Seeders and planters are easily adjusted to use 
the required amount of seed, dropping it at an even 
depth and firming the soil so that rapid germination 
results. The plow should throw the soil and mix it, in 
place of turning it over completely. The disk is the 
most important tool for preparing the soil for a crop. 
It is a pulverizer and a mixer, working the soil into 
proper condition for good germination and mixing the 
manure thoroughly. By its use the plant food is well 
prepared for the use of the young plants. 

The leveler, roller and smoothing harrow are used 
as finishers. The harrow and horse weeder are used to 
kill the weeds and form a dust mulch on crops that will 
stand the treatment and until the plants have made con- 
siderable growth. How much and how long the weeder 
may be used depends on condition of soil and plants. 



10 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

Follow the cultivator with the weeder ; this levels the 
ground and breaks up the space left by the cultivator. 
Success in using this tool depends on using it before 
weeds have made their appearance above ground, 

A steel frame horse cultivator with seven teeth, 
each 154 inches wide, is useful when plants are small. 
It is made with adjustments for gauging the depth and 
does .excellent work. There are also hoe attachments 
and sweeps, which are used later in the season for shal- 
low cultivation. Thorough work is assured if the tool 
is in the hands of a competent man. Proper adjustment 
has much to do with the efficiency of these implements. 

Such smaller tools as the wheel hoe, spade, rake 
and hand hoe, with horse and hand markers, about 
complete the list of tools required, except special tools 
for special crops. Less work is performed with the 
hand hoe than formerly, yet it has its place, and it 
should be kept bright and sharp. 

HARVESTING AND MARKETING 

Successful production avails but little unless the 
crop is properly harvested and profitably marketed. 
Perishable products must be prepared for market and 
sold just as soon as they are fit. Secure enough help 
to keep up with the work, if possible, so that no over- 
ripe stock will be left on hand. 

In delivering to a nearby market, return crates 
may be used. Much of our produce, however, is sold 
in gift packages. It pays to use the style of crate most 
popular in the market to which you ship. Your name 
on crates should be a trademark that means good qual- 
ity, just as good at the bottom as at the top. Some 
growers place a card in the package in such position 
as to be easily seen, bearing some such message as, 
"U see one, U see all." This pays handsomely in the 



GROWING TRUCK CROPS FOR PROFIT 11 

end, providing it is always true. It costs time and 
money to acquire a reputation for fair dealing, and 
after once acquired it pays to live up to it. 

Blight and insect crop pests keep the gardener on 
the edge of despair. To see a crop destroyed after in- 
curring the expense of growing it until nearly ready 
for market is, to say the least, discouraging. Each 
y€ar adds to our long list of troubles before we have 
learned to overcome the old ones. From all the ex- 
periments with sprays and insecticides and the scores 
of bulletins written upon these subjects, the gardener 
has gained little aid that is new during the last decade. 
The orchardist has fared better, for spraying is his 
salvation. 

Insects and worms that eat are easily poisoned 
with paris green, and I know of no better treatment. 
Those that suck the sap of plants are, of course, not 
affected by poison. Their control presents a serious 
problem. These suckers in the garden abound like the 
human variety of the same species when a glib-tongued 
mining stock agent comes to town. They can only be 
scared off — you cannot kill them. Make them uncom- 
fortable by tangling their legs with land plaster, road 
dust or coal ashes. Sulphur, tobacco, kerosene — some- 
thing that has a disagreeable odor — will also hinder 
their ravages. Carbon bisulphid is being used to ex- 
terminate the worms and insects that work under- 
ground. 

The remedies recommended for blight and fun- 
gous diseases contain copper sulphate in combination 
with quicklime, ammonia, or caustic soda, and are used 
to protect the plant from the attack of the various dis- 
eases. It is applied as a preventive, and the foliage 
must be kept covered continually with the solution. 
This demands eternal vigilance. The time may be near 
when it will be as necessary for the gardener to spray 



12 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

as thoroughly as does the successful orchardist at tlie 
present time. 

It is best first to experiment in a small way so as 
to become familiar with the methods of mixing and 
applying these fungicides and watch results. From my 
own experience, and from what I have learned from 
the experience of others, I believe that much may be 
accomplished to prevent the ravages of these pests by 
practicing a regular rotation of crops, using all the 
fertility possible, using only the best seed and strong- 
est plants, and giving the very best culture. The 
weakest plants, like weak and badly nourished animals, 
are usually the first to succumb to disease. 

THE MAN BEHIND THE HOE 

Granting all desired in the way of soil, favor- 
able location, good seed and best methods of culture, 
success still depends upon the man. The successful 
market gardener must be a business man. He must 
be alive to the possibilities of his occupation, ready to 
take advantage of every opportunity possible to in- 
crease his sales. By correspondence, use of the tele- 
phone and personal inquiry, he must be able to place 
his products where he will receive the best price. 

He must be able to handle men, for he must em- 
ploy much help. The proper management of labor is 
very essential. He needs to be a hustler, for his crops 
must be marketed at the right time and at the right 
place. The best customers will expect prompt delivery 
and will insist that the product be in good condition. 
Regular customers can be held only by fair dealing. 
They want prompt delivery of the best that can be 
grown, put up in an attractive manner and so good that 
the consumer will think that no other grower can fur- 
nish Droducts of quite as good quality. 



CHAPTER III 

Maintaining Plant Pood Supply 

Ev-ery successful market gardener fully under- 
stands that he must provide and apply a much greater 
amount of stable manure and commercial fertilizer 
than does the grain farmer. A rotation of crops cannot 
be practiced so completely as in general farming. The 
humus content of the soil, therefore, must be kept up 
by the use of stable manure and cover crops. 

During my early experience in growing truck 
crops I found that I was obliged to apply what seemed 
to me at that time an extravagant amount of manure 
to produce a large crop and insure early maturity. I 
also noted that the market gardeners located near my 
market city and owning 20 or more acres kept a team 
hauling manure from the city stables nearly every day 
during a good portion of the year. 

At this time we knew very little about commercial 
fertilizers and cared less, as stable manure could be 
procured free by the gardeners living near the city, and 
often they were paid for carting it away. 

My farm is located 20 miles from the city, and as 
I was keeping a herd of dairy cows, I used all the 
manure they produced on the few acres of truck crops. 
I soon became convinced that I was robbing three acres 
of my farm to provide fertilizer for one. I was doing 
what many farmers were doing and are doing now — 
taking what belongs to all the acres to grow a few 
acres of tobacco, sugar beets, potatoes and other special 
money crops that leave no residue to furnish plant food 
or humus. 

T increased my truck acreage year by year and 

18 



14 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

was soon obliged to purchase stable refuse and stock 
yard manure from Chicago and the sheep-feeding yards 
at the feeding stations. For a few years I was able 
to procure first-class material for the nominal price of 
loading the cars and a low flat freight rate. Even with 
a two-mile haul from the station I was well satisfied, 
as I was able to procure my supply during the season 
the teams were idle. 

These conditions soon changed, however. Prices 
doubled, delivery became uncertain, and I was obliged 
to supplement my supply of farm manure with com- 
mercial fertilizers. I had been experimenting in a small 
way with several brands of fertilizers. I had been led 
to believe that some particular brand, named, perhaps, 
the "Red Chief" or the "Three Star," contained some 
element of mysterious power and virtue. 

However, I began to study soil conditions on my 
own farm and also learned something about plant food. 
I learned that to get best results from the use of fer- 
tilizers I must keep up the humus content in the soil. 
I also learned that it was quite as necessary to furnish 
a well-balanced plant food for the best growth and 
maturity of my crops as it was for the dairyman to 
furnish his cows with a well-balanced ration. 

I learned also that there are three elements used 
to make up a complete fertilizer, namely, nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and potash, and that the value of a ton 
of commercial fertilizer depends upon the number of 
pounds of these several elements it contains. 

HIGH-GRADE FERTILIZERS THE CHEAPEST 

A low-grade fertilizer can be sold at an exorbitant 
price per pound for the plant food contained, and yet 
sold at a less price per ton than a high-grade fertilizer 
which is sold at a low price per pound for the plant 



MAINTAINING PLANT FOOD SUPPLY 15 

food contained. This low price per ton catches the eye 
of many farmers. 

It would be just as sensible to go to the grocer 
and have him make vinegar half water and then pay 
for the mixture three-fourths the price of strong 
vinegar as to buy the average low-grade fertilizer. The 
economical thing to do is to buy high-grade fertilizer 
and use less per acre. 

To those who have used fertilizers extensively in 
growing truck crops this advice may seem superfluous. 
However, far too much is being paid in freight bills 
for worthless filler and the extra labor in hauling and 
distributing these materials after they are delivered at 
the railway station. After several years of experience, 
my practice in using fertilizer has resolved itself into the 
use of a certain number of pounds of nitrogen, phos- 
phoric acid and potash per acre. The amount depends 
on the crop to which it is applied, the condition of the 
soil and the amount of stable manure used in connection 
with it. 

As to the amount applied per acre, my rule is very 
much like the reply of a successful gardener who was 
asked how much stable manure he applied to his crops. 
"I use all I can save, buy, beg or borrow," he said. 

I apply all that I can afiford to buy. My fields have 
a dressing of stable manure once in three years, and 
my standard for fertilizing is 150 pounds nitrate of 
soda, 700 pounds 14 per cent acid phosphate, and 200 
pounds muriate of potash per acre. More potash is 
applied to the potato crop than to corn. The amount 
of phosphoric acid and potash is cut to half for melons, 
depending on the residual efifect from the preceding year 
to furnish part of the plant food. I believe this practice 
insures fruit of firmer texture and higher quality than 
is possible when large applications of manure and 
fertilizers are used during the season of planting. 



16 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

VEGETABLE MATTER FIRST SOIL NEED 

Owing to the nitrogen it contains, humus is of 
great value to soils chemically. Under a slow process 
of decomposition the nitrogen is continually converted 
into an available state, and this furnishes the plants 
with one of the most important plant foods. Humus is 
of value because it enables soils to hold moisture. A 
soil with a high percentage of humus is able to absorb, 
retain and eventually supply the plants with more 
moisture than can a similar soil containing a lower per- 
centage of humus. Humus also improves the mechan- 
ical condition of heavy soils, making them more friable 
and easier to cultivate. 

The problem of supplying enough organic matter 
to provide humus has kept me busy. As I am unable 
to grow legumes for a cover crop, I have to depend 
upon rye and oats. I try to grow some cover crop 
after all early harvested crops and to sow rye between 
the rows of corn at time of last cultivation. 

With the stable manure made on the place I have 
been able to keep my soil in good physical condition. 
Where cowpeas or other legume crops can be grown 
nitrogen can be secured, as this class of plants has the 
property of taking nitrogen from the air and storing 
it in the roots of the plants, where it becomes available 
plant food for succeeding crops. 

I hear many farmers say that commercial ferti- 
lizers injure the soil. This is true to the extent that 
any system of culture that does not provide for the 
keeping up of the supply of humus causes injury to the 
soil. The first principle in successful agriculture is to 
provide organic matter in some form to keep up the 
humus supply to a point that the soil is in a good 
physical condition. 



n 
«< C 

3 
< V 

J-. (-6 

n 1 

n n 
p _ 
1 -• 

« IT! 



o w 

3 ^ 

v; crq 
orq 

"t >-H 

22 -^ 

(/I 



O 
3 






c 



-1 



O 
3 



3 



o 

c 
r 
c 

tc 
> 

H 

> 



rr 
H 

r. 

c 





a 

►J 
w 
»— ( 

05 

< 
H 

W 

W 

H 



B 



Q 
W 

a 

CO 

u 
2: 



Oh 
W 



MAINTAINING PLANT FOOD SUPPLN' 17 

WHAT ANALYSIS TELLS US 

The idea that the chemical analysis of soil gives 
an accurate showing as to its needs for fertilization 
has long since been shown by scientists to be far from 
true. 

The chemist is able to tell us the amount of nitro- 
gen, phosphorus and potassium our soil contains, but he 
cannot tell us how much of these several elements are 
in an available condition for plant food. Cons^equently. 
we can learn what our individual soil needs only by 
field tests. 

Science and general experience teach us that the 
only reliable method by which we can ascertain the 
needs of a soil is carrying out suitable practical manu- 
rial experiments. By making the latter as simple and 
exact as possible, the farmer is sure to attain the de- 
sired knowledge regarding his soil within a reasonable 
time and will thus receive ample reward for his trouble. 

A good experiment field, embodying five plots, of 
equal size, is suitable. These plots should be separated 
by paths four feet wide in order to prevent roots of the 
plants of one plot from feeding on the fertilizer sup- 
plied to the adjoining plot. All of the plots must be 
treated alike in every respect, except with regard to the 
amount and kind of fertilizer applied. It is best to 
have the plots long and narrow, because they will thus 
average up for unevenness of soil. Arrange them so 
that practically the same number of plants are grown 
on each. 

The size of the plots must depend somewhat on 
local conditions and the kind of crop to be grown. A 
very convenient size is 1-10 of an acre. A strip 93 1-3 
feet long by 46 2-3 feet wide represents 1-10 acre in 
convenient shape. However, it may be best to arrange 



18 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

differently i£ the above size is not convenient. Each 
plot should be numbered separately. 

PLAN FOR FERTILIZER TEST 

The fertilizing of the individual plots would be as 
follows : 

Plot 1, unfertilized. 

Plot 2, nitrogen, potash, phosphoric acid, complete 
fertilizing. 

Plot 3, nitrogen, phosphoric acid, without potash. 

Plot 4, nitrogen, potash, without phosphoric acid. 

Plot 5, potash, phosphoric acid, without nitrogen. 

If it is desired to determine the effect of lime 
applied along with the other manurial constituents, we 
must include a sixth plot and give it an application of 
lime in addition to a complete fertilizing. 

FIVE PLOTS, EACH 1-10 ACRE IN SIZE 

(93 1-3 X 46 2-3 feet) 



No fertilizer 


1 


50 pounds acid phosphate (14%) 
20 pounds muriate of potash 
20 pounds nitrate of soda 


2 


50 pounds acid phosphate (14%) 
20 pounds nitrate of soda 


3 


20 pounds muriate of potash 
20 pounds nitrate of soda 


4 


50 pounds phosphoric acid 
20 pounds muriate of potash 


5 



MAINTAINING PLANT FOOD SUPPLY 19 

SOURCES OF FERTILIZING^ MATERIAL 

There still remains, however, the question of the 
most economical source of fertilizing materials. There 
is more range in the choice of nitrogen supply than in 
the other two elements, and I am naming tliose that are 
in most common use. 

Nitrogen may be derived, in the form of ammonia, 
from nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, cyanamid 
and tankage. Nitrate of soda is obtained from the dry 
plateau regions of Chile. It occurs as an impure min- 
eral called "Caliche." This mineral is ground and dis- 
solved in boiling water, the impure minerals extracted 
and separated out. As put upon the market it is 95 to 
96 per cent pure and contains about 16 per cent, 
nitrogen. 

Nitrate of soda is the most immediately available 
of all nitrogen fertilizers for growing early crops and 
serves directly as a plant food. It acts more rapidly 
than nitrogenous manures of organic origin, as these 
latter are dependent upon undergoing decomposition 
and nitrification. 

SULPHATE OF AMMONIA 

Ammonium sulphate contains about 20 per cent 
nitrogen and is obtained as a by-product in the manu- 
facture of coke and coal gas. It is soluble in water 
and stands next to nitrate of soda in ease of solubility. 

CYANAMID 

Cyanamid is a comparatively new product that bids 
fair to become popular as a nitrogenous fertilizer ma- 
terial. Cyanamid is the invention of two German 
chemists and the process of manufacture consists in 
artificially fixing atmospheric nitrogen. The manufac- 



20 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

ture of cyanamid depends upon the simple chemical 
fact that calcium carbide at a white heat absorbs atmos- 
pheric nitrogen and becomes calcium cyanamid. 

Nitrogen is separated from the oxygen in the air 
by liquefying the air, and then allowing only pure 
nitrogen to evaporate, leaving the oxygen in the liquid. 
The carbide is placed in ovens heated by electricity to 
a white heat, and the nitrogen is pumped into the ovens, 
and is there sucked up by the carbide, forming calcium 
cyanamid. 

The crude material is ground and put through a 
mechanical process of granulation. It is bluish black 
in color, and analyzes 18 to 19 per cent nitrogen. 
Cyanamid dissolves very readily in the soil water solu- 
tion, and the nature of its decomposition places it in 
the same class as the organic fertilizers. Wherever a 
slow, steady growth is desired this material will pro- 
duce satisfactory results. 

The air being composed of four-fifths nitrogen, 
and electric power derived from the big waterfalls of 
Niagara and other rivers being inexhaustible, the pro- 
duction of nitrogen in the form of cyanamid is practi- 
cally unlimited. 

TANKAGE 

Tankage is a packing house product. The refuse 
parts of the carcass are put in tanks and cooked by 
steam to extract the grease. The remaining scrap is 
pressed and dried. It may contain 4 to 9 per cent 
nitrogen and a small per cent of phosphoric acid. 

The large packing house companies have fertilizer 
departments, and they use most of their tankage in 
manufacturing mixed fertiliz.ers. 

PHOSPHORIC ACID 

Sufficient raw material for the manufacture of 



MAINTAINING PLANT FOOD SUPPLY 21 

this exists in tlie phosphatic rocks distributed through- 
out the states of South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, 
Utah, Idaho and Wyoming to last, it is estimated, for 
centuries. The deposits vary in thickness from one to 
20 feet and average from 20 to 40 per cent phosphoric 
acid. Raw phosphate rock ground to a fine powder is 
called "floats." Floats are sometimes applied to the soil 
with good results when rotation of crops is practiced, 
as in general stock farming, but have no place in grow- 
ing truck crops. 

SUPERPHOSPHATES 

Phosphate rock acidulated with sulphuric acid 
forms superphosphate, or soluble phosphates. The 
rock is ground to a fine powder and mixed with an 
equal amount of sulphuric acid, which changes th^ in- 
soluble phosphoric acid to the soluble form. Super- 
phosphate is a term applied to any material containing 
soluble phosphoric acid as its chief constituent. Solu- 
ble phosphoric acid readily distributes itself in the soil 
and goes to the roots of plants. 

It should be remembered that phosphoric acid is 
not washed from the soil, though in a soluble form, 
since it is finally "fixed" by coming in contact with 
lime, iron, and other mineral substances usually present 
in good soils. Acid phosphate, made by treating phos- 
phate rock with sulphuric acid, contains from 14 to 16 
per cent available phosphoric acid. 

Other sources of phosphate are raw and steamed 
bone, which is ground and usually used in the natural 
state, and is sometimes preferred to other forms of 
phosphates by orchardists. Bone black is the spent 
bone black from sugar refineries. It is usually acidu- 
lated and used by fertilizer factories. 



22 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

THOMAS PHOSPHATE POWDER 

This product, sometimes called Thomas slag, is a 
by-product of the basic process of refining steel. It 
contains 16 to 18 per cent phosphoric acid and is in 
combination with four parts lime. This form of phos- 
phate is said to be very beneficial on soils inclined to be 
sour. It is a by-product of the furnaces of Europe, 
therefore it can be used to best advantage by farmers 
living near the coast. 

Scientists tell us that soluble acid phosphate is of 
the same value as a plant food whatever may be its 
source. Therefore the farmer makes no mistake when 
he buys any phosphate on a basis of the per cent of 
available phosphoric acid it contains. 

POTASH 

The only modern source of potash is the German 
deposits. The United States government, through the 
Geological Survey and the Department of Agriculture, 
is making a systematic search over several of the 
western states in order to discover possible sources of 
this substance. Whether or not any commercial sources 
are opened in America, we need have no fear of 
scarcity, as an ample supply is assured for generations 
to come from the inexhaustible deposits of potash salts 
in Germany. 

The most important of the potash salts are sul- 
phate of potash, muriate of potash, and kainit. The 
former two contain about 50 per cent pure potash and 
kainit about 12j^ per cent. 

Sulphate of potash is best for tobacco, potatoes, 
sugar beets and some other specialties. Muriate of 
potash is somewhat cheaper than the sulphate and is 
useful for most crops, and is most generally used in 



MAINTAINING PLANT FOOD SUPPLY 23 

mixed fertilizers. Kainit in addition to its effect as a 
potash fertilizer is useful in killing grub worms, cut- 
worms and other insects living in the soil and is a 
remedy against many plant blights. 

Wood ashes are also a source of potash, containing 
from 2 to 7 per cent pure potash. Their composition 
is varied and uncertain and the supply very limited. 

LIME 

The frequent need for lime should not be over- 
looked. Lime is especially useful to some soils. It 
corrects acidity, promotes the formation of nitrates 
and aids in improving the physical condition of soil. 
Soil that turns blue litmus paper red when applied 
moist is sour and needs lime. Lime in some form is 
the corrective. The litmus paper test costs but a nickel. 

HOW TO APPLY FERTILIZERS 

Fertilizers and fertilizer materials — that is, chemi- 
cals containing nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash — 
are applied broadcast to be harrowed or plowed under, 
as top dressing, in the hill, or with the drill. Each 
method has its preference in certain cases. 

Applying fertilizer in the hill is the least effective 
in yields, although striking in forcing early growth. 
For truck growing and when heavy applications of fer- 
tilizers are to be made, there can be no question that 
the best method is to apply broadcast, and work it well 
into the soil with a harrow or disk. 

When unmixed fertilizers are used, it is best to 
apply the mineral fertilizers — that is, those containing 
phosphoric acid and potash — previous to planting. In 
this case there will he time for them to become well 
mixed with the soil. Materials containing nitrogen are 



24 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

used at the time of planting or soon afterwards as a 
top dressing. 

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTORS 

As is well known to all users of commercial fer- 
tilizer and lime, it has been extremely difficult to obtain 
a fertilizer distributor that would evenly and in deiinite 
amounts distribute these materials under all conditions. 

The truck grower demands a distributor that will 
drill or broadcast lime, mixed fertilizer, acid phosphate, 
potash, kainit, nitrate of soda, or any other kind of 
fertihzer at the rate of from 100 pounds to one ton 
to the acre. He demands a distributor made of the best 
material, provided with large hopper capacity, with 
low-down construction to enable easy filling of the hop- 
per. The wheels should have a wide tire and the dis- 
charge opening should be within a foot of the ground. 
The material as it falls should scatter evenly, and a 
shield should be provided to prevent interference of 
the wind. Several manufacturers have placed upon the 
market machines with special features which have 
proved very satisfactory to the purchasers. 




w 



o 
o 

H 
< 

H 

C 



PS 

< 

W 

pq 

K 
o 

s 

o 



►J 
a! 

< 



CHAPTER IV 
Making Money from Gantaloupes 

No fruit grown is in greater demand and none is 
deemed a greater luxury as a breakfast delicacy than a 
perfect cantaloupe. No fruit or vegetable in our mar- 
ket is so difficult to obtain in perfect condition as to 
quality and ripeness. 

Like the strawberry, the cantaloupe deteriorates 
very rapidly after being taken from the vine. The local 
grower is able to place his product on the market so 
that it will reach the consumer within 48 hours from 
the time it is picked. He, therefore, has the advantage 
of the grower who is far from market and must harvest 
his crop before it is ripe in order to ship it hundreds 
and sometimes thousands of miles. 

It is generally supposed that the cantaloupe grows 
best in southern latitudes, where climatic conditions 
are naturally most favorable. While this is true to a 
degree, it is also true that the best cantaloupes in this 
country and in Europe ,are produced by artificial forc- 
ing or forwarding, making use of the greenhouse, hot- 
bed or cold frame. 

I have prefaced to this extent that you may accept 
without prejudice the statement that I grow as good 
cantaloupes in Wisconsin as are grown anywhere. I 
will try to tell you how I do it and how I established a 
reputation for growing the best, that others may suc- 
ceed as well. 

GOOD \ARIETY ESSENTIAL TO PROFIT 

My success became possible when I acquired a 
variety of local origin that has more than a local repu- 

25 



26 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

tation. Epicures, as well as the ordinary consumer 
who simply likes something good to eat, pronounce it 
perfect in flavor. 

For a few years after this melon was introduced 
it was kept in the hands of a few growers who, like 
all monopolists, adopted all manner of schemes to keep 
a good thing to themselves. At present, however, its 
distribution is quite general. 

Several growers have, by selection, obtained 
superior strains of the variety, yet the general type 
remains the same. In size, shape and color, it resem- 
bles the Tip Top, being light green, slightly ribbed and 
well netted. It has a very thick meat of salmon color, 
very fine in texture. It will not stand long shipment, a 
characteristic of most delicately flavored fruits. In this 
respect, the local grower has a big point in his favor. 

The second factor in my success was in overcom- 
ing the handicap of a short season by forwarding the 
crop through a system of starting plants in hotbeds or 
greenhouses. Some form of artificial heat is necessary, 
and the hotbed is in most general use. 

MAKING THE HOTBEDS 

Experienced gardeners are, of course, familiar 
with the construction of hotbeds. Many of my readers 
that may be most interested, however, have probably 
had but little experience. I will give, therefore, a de- 
tailed description of my methods. Close attention to 
details often makes the difference between success and 
failure. While many growers use plant boxes, and 
claim them to be superior to any other plan, I have 
had excellent success in using sods from a sandy loam 
soil. 

My beds are made and seed planted the last week 
in April. They are well protected from wind by 



MAKING MONEY FROM CANTALOUPES 27 

hedges. I make the frame 6 feet wide and 60 feet long, 
using 3x6 hotbed sash. I have three such beds which 
will contain about 4,500 plants, and will provide 
enough plants for four and a half to five acres. The 
frames are 30 inches deep on the north and 24 on the 
south side. 

I use horse manure containing a large proportion 
of litter that has been repiled and is in a well-fermented 
condition. This is placed in the beds and packed evenly 
about a foot deep. I am careful to have the surface 
perfectly level when finished, because water will settle 
in any depressions left and there will be danger of the 
plants damping off while small or later developing 
blight. 

Sods are taken from a selected plot of a blue grass 
pasture that has been fertilized the preceding season 
with well-rotted stable manure, with an addition of 
acid phosphate and potash. This is distributed evenly, 
and in early spring is gone over with harrow or garden 
rake. The sod is cut with sword-shaped hay knives, 
using a 10-inch plank for a guide, each piece of sod 
being 10 x 17 inches in area and 3y^ inches thick. They 
are removed with a sharp spade. This is a convenient 
size to handle, and when placed in the bed with the 
grass side down, the bed should be as level as a floor. 

After the bed is filled, each sod is cut into six 
pieces. Six seeds are planted about an inch deep in the 
center of each piece, using a knife or other instrument 
to make an opening. The seed is covered and well 
firmed with the hand. The whole bed is leveled, us- 
ing the back of the garden rake. The bed is then well 
watered, using a sprinkler with a fine spray. 

CARE OF HOTBED 

The temperature should not be lower than 60 de- 
grees at night, and may go to 110 in the daytime while 



28 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

the seeds are germinating. After the plants are up, 90 
degrees is about the maximum heat desired. The tem- 
perature rises very rapidly from 10 o'clock until 2, and 
the sashes should be raised, or cloth used for shade. 
During germination, it is better to depend upon pro- 
tection from excessive heat by shading. When the 
plants are well up, then give them some air. 

It is most important to maintain an even tempera- 
ture as continuously as possible during germination, 
since success depends upon an even growth of plants. 
Plants should break through in four or five days and all 
should be up in seven days. A moderate amount of 
water is used, with care not to have the beds wet dur- 
ing a period of cloudy weather. 

In two weeks the plants should be thinned to four 
to a sod and at the same time the soil should be loos- 
ened with a hand weeder. The soil around the plant 
is kept in a loose friable condition. Plants will make a 
very rapid growth, and sufficient air must be given to 
produce hardy plants. During the third or fourth 
week part of the glass may be removed and a cloth sash 
substituted, gradually removing all covering for a part 
of the day until the plants are perfectly hardy. Hot- 
house cantaloupe plants are perfectly hardened when 
they will not wilt if left unprotected. Plants should be 
well grown in five weeks from date of planting. 

SOIL FOR THE CANTALOUPE 

Cantaloupes grow best on land that is so rolling 
that surface drainage is perfect. A sandy or gravelly 
loam with an open subsoil is best. 

Sandy soils produce cantaloupes of best quality, 
and are in the best physical condition for the ripening 
of the fruit. Such soils remain warm during the night, 
and the fruit ripens more evenly than on heavier soils. 



MAKING MONEY FROM CANTALOUPES 29 

Many of the melons in our markets show their inferi- 
ority by the immature or flattened appearance of the 
part of the fruit that was in contact with the ground. 

I plant cantaloupes on land that has been cropped 
with early potatoes or sweet corn the previous year 
with cover crop of oats after the potatoes were har- 
vested, and rye in the sweet corn at the last cultivation. 
These crops are fertilized with a moderate application 
of stable manure, and 1,000 pounds acid phosphate, 
and 300 pounds muriate of potash per acre. I depend 
on the residual effect of this liberal supply of mineral 
fertilizers on the preceding crop to furnish most of 
the plant food for the melon crop. I believe that a lib- 
eral use of potash insures high quality of fruit, and 
more even size and better keeping qualities than when 
the potash supply is limited, 

MAKING THE LAND READY 

The ground is plowed early in spring and the har- 
row used at intervals of a week or 10 days to kill weeds 
and to conserve moisture. On my Wisconsin truck 
farm I apply, at the time of plowing, 400 pounds acid 
phosphate and 100 pounds sulphate of potash per acre. 
I sow it broadcast and work it in with the disk. 

If weather conditions are right, I transplant during 
the first week in June. My field is then in fine tilth from 
the several cultivations, and it takes but little extra work 
to put it in condition for transplanting. The rows are 
made six feet apart, except that one way I leave a 
space of nine feet between each two rows. This wide 
row is for picking and carrying out fruit. This plan 
lessens the injury to the vines in harvest. The crop 
season often is shortened and the quality of the fruit in- 
jured by careless pickers. 



30 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

TRANSPLANTING 

Before the plants are taken from the beds they are 
thoroughly soaked. The sod pieces will absorb and 
hold enough moisture to enable the plants to thrive 
even if there is a lack of rain. They are placed in fresh 
made holes about an inch deeper than the thickness of 
the sod, and the soil is well firmed around the plants. 

Shallow but thorough cultivation should follow 
and be kept up until the vines spread so that further 
work with the horse would injure them. From this 
time on the hoe should be used and sometimes it will 
be necessary to pull the remaining weeds. Clean cul- 
ture is essential to securing best results. 

PICKING, GRADING AND CRATING 

With many crops my work is nearly done when the 
crop matures, but not so with cantaloupes. My profit 
on cantaloupes depends to a great extent upon the 
methods of picking, grading, crating and marketing. I 
pick the ripe fruit every day and m.arket it as soon as 
possible. 

The cantaloupe is ready to pick just as soon as 
the stem will slip. Considerable experience is needed 
to become an expert in this work. Many melons sold 
in our markets are picked when they reach a certain 
size, by the same rule that lemons are gathered. This 
practice may do for the grower who ships his crop, but 
never for the grower who meets his customers face to 
face. The grower who has an established reputation 
for honest goods, and wishes to maintain it must use 
the utmost care in grading and crating his crop. 

A neat, strong crate holding 12 or 16 even-sized 
melons is the most satisfactory size. A dozen canta- 
loupes of the most popular size will fill a crate 20 
inches long with 12-inch ends. 



MAKING MONEY FROM CANTALOUPES 31 

MARKETING THE PRODUCT 

The growers in my district are located within a 
Hmit of 25 miles of the market center and deHvcry is 
made by wagon. Many of these growers sell direct to 
grocers, hotels and dealers. Profitable methods of 
marketing are determined by the size of crop and the 
ability and disposition of the grower. The nearer the 
grower can get to the consumer the greater the profit. 
If his product has quality, the satisfaction of all par- 
ties concerned gives him an incentive for continued 
effort to grow better crops. 

The prices that buyers for clubs, high-class hotels 
and cafes are willing to pay for cantaloupes of the best 
quality are often surprising to growers not familiar 
with city markets. This trade is worth a special efifort 
to secure. However, the larger the city the more diffi- 
cult it is for producer to reach consumer. The larger 
the city, the more middlemen there are to share the con- 
sumer's dollar. This is a natural result of the con- 
gested conditions of traffic that cause the extraordinary 
expense of distribution. 



CHAPTER V 
Strawberries for Bvery Garden 

Great big red, juicy strawberries look good to 
everybody, and everybody should have them in abun- 
dance. They thrive on all kinds of soil, in nearly all 
climates, and should be grown in every garden in vil- 
lage and country. 

As a market crop, the strawberry can be grown 
with profit by the owner of a small garden, and sold 
fresh picked to his neighbors. The market gardener 
may devote any fraction of an acre to this crop and 
sell to grocers, or at the public market. The commer- 
cial grower need limit his number of acres only by his 
ability to procure labor that will be dependable and 
always on the job. 

When we discuss growing any garden crop from 
a commercial standpoint, a great many different factors 
become pertinent. These pertain to location, market 
and shipping facilities, soil fertilizers and labor. Ex- 
ecutive ability and a good bank account are also neces- 
sary requisites, 

WHERE THEY GROW BEST 

The possibilities of growing strawberries under 
ideal conditions are almost limitless. A thoroughly 
congenial soil is a prime consideration. To be con- 
genial to the growth of strawberries, a soil must con- 
tain enough humus, or vegetable matter, to make its 
physical condition perfect. Closely connected with 
this vital supply of vegetable matter is a sufficient 
amount of plant food, in an available form, and con- 
taining the three elements — nitrogen, phosphoric acid, 

32 



X 
c 






r 
■r. 







I 




z 

o 



o 

w 
W 

H 

M 



72 

W 

o 

< 

O 
dn 

Z 

O 

Z 
w 
w 

O 



u 
z 

H 
H 

D 



STRAWBERRIES FOR EVERY GARDEN 33 

and potash — in the proportions needed by the plants 
for the highest degree of fruiting excellence. 

The soil should be naturally well drained, and 
nearly level. However, surface drainage must be per- 
fect, as standing water in summer or ice in winter is 
destructive to this crop. 

Strawberries always should be grown in rotation, 
and follow some cultivated crop that has been heavily 
fertilized with stable manure and well cultivated to kill 
weeds. Corn, potatoes or melons are the crops that 
precede my berry crop. 

An application of stable manure is made in the 
fall or during the winter, the quantity depending upon 
the amount of commercial fertilizers used. If no com- 
mercial fertilizer is used, a liberal application is needed. 
My practice has been to apply about 10 loads to the 
acre of well-rotted manure with 200 pounds muriate 
of potash and 600 pounds acid phosphate worked into 
the soil as early in the spring as possible. 

We should remember that in the preparation of 
the strawberry field, we must provide for three sea- 
sons' growth and two crops. We can well afford to be 
liberal in appropriating time and money to this work 
of preparation. 

PREPARATION AND PLANTING 

Heavy soil should be plowed in the fall and then 
plowed again in the spring. Light soil should be plowed 
in early spring to a depth of 8 to 10 inches, and should 
be harrowed at once. No tool is better than the disk 
for fitting land for the strawberry crop. Follow it 
with a smoothing harrow, leveler, roller, and horse 
weeder. This thorough preparation saves labor in 
transplanting, and assures a better growth and a per- 
fect stand of thrifty plants. 



34 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

SETTING THE PLANTS 

I plant as early as the land is in good condition. 
Rows are made four feet apart with a marker that will 
make as shallow a mark as possible. Freshly dug 
plants that have been well grown the previous season 
are selected. 

Plants are spaced 18 to 24 inches apart in the row, 
depending on the variety. A good opening is made 
with a spade, so that the roots will get down into the 
soil straight. One man can make the openings for the 
two men that follow, placing the plants in the freshly 
made holes, and firming the soil around them. I would 
emphasize the importance of this careful attention to 
details in planting, as one of the factors of profit in 
growing this crop is a perfect stand. 

No list of varieties can be named that will be best 
for all sections, or all markets. The best advice is to 
plant varieties that have proved best in the experience 
of the most successful growers in your locality. 

My experience in testing new varieties has been 
very disappointing. My advice is to "let George do it," 
and don't always believe what George says about it. 

The varieties that have succeeded best with me, 
are the Bederwood, Warfield, Senator Dunlap. Sam- 
ple, Gandy, and Brandywine. These varieties are 
nearly standard. The Dunlap, Warfield and Gandy 
have proved to be moneymakers from North Dakota 
to the Ohio river. 

Senator Dunlap and Miss Warfield have been 
wedded these many years, and seem to have proved a 
very congenial pair. They have traveled together 
everywhere, remaining long in many places, to the sat- 
isfaction of those who have entertained them with a 
lavish hand. 

The only objection I find to each of these two 



STRAWBERRIES FOR EVERY GARDEN 35 

varieties is that they make too many plants. However, 
this fault can be overcome by keeping them in hedge- 
rows, or in narrow matted rows where with hberal fer- 
tiHzing their vigor and push will develop enormous 
crowns that will be loaded down with the finest fruit. 
The size, shape, color, texture and quality are all that 
can be desired. 

MANAGING GROWTH OF PLANTS 

Cultivation should begin soon after planting, and 
continue until the ground freezes in the fall. A nar- 
row-tooth cultivator which will not throw the dirt but 
will leave the soil level is best for this work. It can 
be run close to the row until the new plants become 
rooted. Later the distance is regulated to form rows 
16 to 18 inches wide. A horse weeder can be used to 
advantage while plants are small, and after they have 
become well rooted in the soil. The hand hoe must 
be used often, and if weeds are killed when just start- 
ing this work is not laborious nor expensive. 

WINTER PROTECTION 

Late in the fall, after growth has ceased, and the 
ground begins to freeze, I put on a covering of marsh 
hay. Freezing and thawing at this season is as injuri- 
ous to the plants as it is in the winter or spring. About 
two tons to the acr€ are needed and all the ground 
should be covered evenly. Often hay that has become 
unmerchantable can be bought cheaply. The cost of 
covering is becoming a greater item of expense each 
year. Other materials than hay may be used, but none 
is as satisfactory. 

WHAT TO DO IN SPRING 

As soon as the danger of heavy frost is over in 



36 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

spring and growth commences, the covering is removed 
to the spaces between the rows, and left there to pro- 
tect the fruit, and to act as mulch to the plants during 
the fruiting season. All weeds that start should be 
pulled out by hand ; and the amount of this work de- 
pends on how well it has been done the previous season. 

SELLING THE PRODUCT 

The most expensive items in berry production are 
picking and marketing the fruit. Much of this work, 
such as securing pickers, preparing packing shed and 
making crates and boxes, can be done before the pick- 
ing season opens, as there is little time for this work 
when the rush is on. Even if it is possible to secure an 
army of pickers, it is no easy matter to select those 
who will work well. This requires the discipline of an 
army officer, combined with the tact of a first-class 
school teacher. Some boys are excellent pickers, but 
girls and women are usually the most dependable. 

Remember that while you would like to formulate 
some very rigid rules to regulate this little army, en- 
listed for only a few days or a few weeks, you will suc- 
ceed best if you will but remember your own capacity 
and disposition for work under the same conditions 
when you were a boy. 

Certain rules must be observed, however. Only a 
specified number of empty boxes should be taken by 
each picker, and the filled boxes brought at once to the 
packing shed and inspected. Each picker should be 
furnished a card with name or number marked plainly 
thereon, and fastened to the picker, not to the carrier. 
The carrier should not hold more than four boxes, and 
enough of these should be provided so that the picker 
may have an empty in place of one brought to the shed. 

The manner and tact of the one who takes the 
filled boxes from the pickers mean much in the dis- 



STRAWBERRIES FOR EVERY GARDEN 37 

cipline of the little army. The boxes should be crated 
as fast as inspected, the covers nailed on, and the filled 
crates placed in as cool and dry a place as can be pro- 
vided. If 20 or more pickers are employed, one per- 
son should superintend the picking, watching the work, 
instructing and encouraging the pickers, and occasion- 
ally reprimanding the careless. 

To the largest growers the marketing is often the 
most simple, as the buyer purchases his crop at the 
packing shed. Some buyers remain at the shipping 
points and pay a price that is fixed for them at the 
destination point, sometimes hundreds of miles away. 
The greatest number of growers, however, are situated 
very much as I am and are obliged to ship or drive to 
a city market and consign to a commission firm, or be 
their own salesman. In 20 years' experience in grow- 
ing from one to three acres of berries, I have marketed 
my own crop, selling to grocers and marketmen. The 
best way to dispose of the crop must be determined by 
•each individual grower for himself. 

However and wherever your product is sold, place 
your trademark on every box. You will profit or lose 
according to the quality and condition of your goods. 

COSTS AND PROFITS 

Strawberry growing is a gamble if engaged in only 
at intervals or in a desultory manner. However, if 
grown for a period of 10 years the balance on the profit 
side is as good as from any, and better than that from 
most special crops. 

Drouth and low prices often cut the profits down 
to a few dollars per acre, while again in an extra favor- 
able season the profits mount up into the three-figure 
column. The subject of the cost and profit of this and 
other crops will be treated at length in a special chapter. 



CHAPTER VI 
The Succulent Sweet Qorn 

In favorable seasons it is possible for the truck 
farmer to have sweet corn to sell every market day for 
a period of 90 days, and in the average season at least 
75 days. 

This long period of production is made possible by 
selecting the very early, the intermediate and the late 
varieties, planting them in succession from the last days 
in April to the middle of June. 

There is no vegetable in our markets that is in 
better demand and none that is a greater delicacy than 
sweet corn in prime condition. However, careless 
methods in handling from the time it is taken from the 
field to the time it reaches the consumer's table often 
change what was a sweet, juicy and appetizing article of 
food to one less palatable than corn bought in the can. 

In many large cities the truck farmers drive with 
their loads of vegetables to the commission houses, 
passing on their way the large retail grocers located in 
the suburbs and outlying districts of the city. The next 
morning the buyers from these stores drive several 
miles to the commission houses and often purchase the 
same vegetables that had passed their store. 

These products have been stored in the heated 
rooms of the commission houses, have been carted 
miles, reloaded and handled several times. This is 
called "modern merchandizing." 

LESSONS OF THIRTY YEARS* WORK 

After 30 years of experience in growing sweet 
corn for the Milwaukee market I would say that my 



TUE SUCCULENT SWEET CORN 39 

success has come from growing the best varieties, 
selecting and marketing the product when in prime 
condition, and dehvering regularly to the best class of 
trade obtainable — hotels, restaurants and first-class 
grocers. 

It has been my policy to get as near the consumer 
as possible. I realize, however, that as cities increase 
in size marketing and delivery become more difficult, 
and I have been obliged to depend upon the public mar- 
ket in place of delivering to regular customers. These 
markets are becoming more popular each year and are 
very satisfactory. 

A sandy or gravelly loam soil is best for growing 
early sweet corn of quality. The greatest profit is made 
from very early crops. To secure an early crop the 
very best seed must be secured. Planting must be done 
at a season when the very highest standard of vitality 
is necessary to obtain a good stand. Home-saved seed 
is most reliable. 

The most popular varieties in our market are early 
White Cory, Mammoth White Cory, Chicago Market, 
Crosby, Cosmopolitan, early and late Evergreen. There 
is sometimes a local deimand for Yellow Bantam and 
blue corn, or other special varieties. However, I have 
succeeded best by selecting the best white varieties that 
have 12 or more rows of small kernels and thin hulls. 

PLANTING AND TENDING 

I plant in check rows, the early varieties three feet 
and the late 3^ feet apart. Great care is given to the 
planting of the early crop. From four to five seeds are 
planted in each hill, at a depth not to exceed two inches. 

The harrow is used one or more times before the 
crop is up, and the horse cultivator, weeder and hand 
hoe are used from the time the rows can be followed 



40 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

until the corn is too large to be worked without injury. 
At the time of the first cultivation the man with the 
hoe is, indeed, an important personage. His effective 
work at this time means more dollars of profit to the 
grower. 

There is no crop that will return more profit for a 
liberal application of fertilizer than early sweet corn, 
and none that will suffer more for lack of it. During 
my first years of experience in growing early sweet 
corn and early potatoes I was impressed by the fact 
that excessive amounts of stable manure are required 
to grow maximum crops — much more than enough to 
supply plant food for crops that have the whole season 
for growth and maturity. From this early experience 
I learned, what is common knowledge now, that only 
a small part of the plant food in stable manure is in 
an available condition early in the season on account 
of a lack of bacterial growth which becomes present 
in the soil through the aid of heat and moisture as the 
season advances. 

Finding it also more difficult and expensive each 
season to procure stable manure, I have been supple- 
menting the manure with nitrate of soda, acid phos- 
phate and muriate of potash. About 10 loads per acre 
of stable manure are applied during the winter or early 
spring. Cover crops are grown with preceding crops 
to add to the supply of humus so necessary to keep 
up the proper physical condition of the soil. The land 
is plowed as early as conditions permit, five to seven 
inches deep. Five hundred pounds acid phosphate and 
150 pounds muriate of potash are sown broadcast and 
harrowed or disked in. It is immaterial whether the 
materials are mixed or applied separately. Nitrate of 
soda at the rate of 100 pounds per acre is sown broad- 
cast about the time corn is coming up and is harrowed 
in. 






V- 

c 

o 

c 
c 
a 

> 

z 

o 



o 
O 





Making Up the Hotbeds for Cantaloupes 




A Good Tough Sod Should be Chosen 



THE SUCCULENT SWEET CORN 41 

No crop that I have grown has given me greater 
profit or satisfaction than has my sweet corn. I ven- 
ture the statement that the right kind of a man, with 
the right kind of soil, the right kind of seed, and the 
right kind of culture and within 20 miles of a good 
market can be assured of an average annual income 
of at least $1,200 from 16 acres and will have left 
enough product in the form of first-class fodder to pay 
for the fertilizer. 



CHAPTER VII 
Some Speciatl Qrops 

EARLY POTATOES 

A fertile soil, thick planting, thorough culture, and 
seed of best vitality, are the essential factors in pro- 
ducing a large yield of early potatoes. 

SOIL AND LOCATION 

The ideal soil is deep, friable and naturally 
drained. A sandy loam with an open subsoil comes 
the nearest to this standard. 

The land should lie high enough to be well air 
drained, in order to have minimum danger of frost 
damage. Under these conditions, early planting is safe. 

ENRICHING THE SOIL 

Fresh stable manure tends to produce such dis- 
eases as scab, rot and blight. It is, therefore, best to 
apply stable manure to the preceding crop. From this 
is derived the residual effect of the plant food left in 
the soil, while the physical condition of the land is 
immensely benefited through the addition of the or- 
ganic matter. 

Early potatoes need an abundance of available 
plant food of the right kind, in the right place, at the 
right time. This means some form of commercial fer- 
tilizer. I have increased my production and improved 
the quality of my crop by this means. 

After several years' experience I have concluded 
that my best results were secured by sowing broadcast 

42 



SOME SPECIAL CROPS 43 

at the time of plowing 200 pounds muriate of potash 
and 600 pounds acid phosphate to the acre, working 
it into the soil at once. About the time the plants come 
up I usually apply 100 pounds per acre nitrate of soda, 
sown broadcast, and harrowed or cultivated in. 

MAKING THE SEED BED READY 

The ground is plowed as deeply as the nature of 
the soil will permit and as early as it is in condition. 
It is harrowed and pulverized in a thorough manner. 
I am not content with stirring and leveling the surface 
only, but use the disk and such harrows as will work 
deep and leave th^ soil in the best condition to receive 
the seed. 

Only seed of the strongest vitality and the best 
type of the variety selected should be planted. Re- 
member that this crop is wanted early and give it every 
chance to gain a day or two on Father Time. For 
many years I have planted seed grown on reclaimed 
marsh soil. These seed potatoes, planted late in June, 
ripen in October, and are in as good condition at plant- 
ing time the next spring as when taken from the 
ground. They make a vigorous growth, and are less 
subject to scab or blight than potatoes that ripen early. 

After testing many varieties, I am still growing 
the early Ohio, and am securing as large yields as when 
it was first introduced. This can be said of but few 
varieties of potatoes. Fvery grower must decide what 
variety best suits his soil and market. 

PLANTING THE CROP 

Planting begins as soon as the land is prepared. 
Tn southern Wisconsin the planting season is during 
the first two weeks of April. I use a horse planter. The 



44 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

rows are 2}4 feet apart, and the seed placed 13 inches 
apart in the rows. 

The seed is cut to one or two eyes, and to as uni- 
form size as possible. Depth of covering depends upon 
the condition of the soil. Three to four inches prove 
most satisfactory under the conditions found on my 
farm. 

WHEN AND HOW TO CULTIVATE 

Cultivation begins soon after planting by harrow- 
ing several times before the plants come up. The horse 
cultivator should be run quite deep for the first culti- 
vation, after which all operations should be shallow. 
Deep cultivation after root growth has become well 
established injures the feeding roots in the top soil. 

The horse weeder is used after each cultivation, 
and continued as long as the size of the plants will 
admit. The cultivator and weeder should be used after 
every rain to prevent crusting of the surface of the soil, 
and to conserve moisture. If cultivation is thorough, 
and at the right time, very little hand hoeing is neces- 
sary. 

LEVEL CULTURE FOR LIGHT SOILS 

Level culture is continued until the last cultivation, 
which is as late as it is possible to cultivate without in- 
jury to the vines. The wing hoes are then put on the 
horse hoe, and the rows are hilled slightly. No definite 
rule can be given as to hilling, as seasonable conditions 
regulate this phase of cultivation. 

BUGS AND DISEASES 

The Colorado potato beetle, or ordinary potato 
bug, is always with us, but it is less a menace than in 



SOME SPECIAL CROPS 45 

former years. With the powder gun or the improved 
spraying implements, we are able to successfully cope 
with this once formidable enemy of the potato grower. 
The powder gun is the most convenient, is always 
loaded, and does quick work. For several years I have 
used it with the greatest satisfaction. When spraying 
machines are used to prevent blight, then insecticides 
can be used with the bordeaux mixture with economy 
of labor. 

I have succeeded in the prevention of scab and 
blight in my early potato fields by crop rotation and 
seed selection to such an extent that I have had very 
little loss for several years. Early blight appears at a 
rainy season and very frequent applications of bor- 
deaux mixture are necessary to prevent loss if spray- 
ing is practiced. 

HARVESTING AND MARKETING 

I begin to dig the crop as early as the tubers are 
of marketable size. They are put upon the market 
as soon as possible after digging, and as rapidly as 
men and teams can do the work. 

A two-horse digger is used, and the pickers follow 
the digger. For convenience in handling I use bags 
holding one bushel. The bags are loaded directly on 
market wagons and delivered to the grocer or market- 
man. 

ASPARAGUS FOR MARKET 

Asparagus is a popular vegetable and has a long 
season. It thrives best in sandy loam or well-drained 
muck soil. A field that has been cultivated and ma- 
nured heavily the previous year is preferred. At no 
period of its growth should it lack for liberal manuring. 



46 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

It is a heavy feeder, and demands its food in large 
quantities. 

For planting asparagus, furrows should be plowed 
five feet apart and eight inches deep and cleaned out 
to even depth with a spade. The plants, which should 
be a year old, are set with roots spread out in a natural 
position and 18 inches apart in the row. Be careful 
to cover the crown not more than two inches at first, 
gradually filling the furrows as the shoots advance in 
growth. 

Thorough, clean culture at all times is essential. 
As the crowns of the plants are several inches below 
the surface, disking and harrowing is practical after 
the stalks are cut in fall and before growth begins in 
early spring. 

After the principal stalk growth is over and before 
the seed matures, mow ofif and remove the tops and 
burn them. Maturing seed is said to be the most ex- 
haustive effort of plant life, and volunteer seedlings 
are as bad as weeds. 

Not until the third year should marketing be al- 
lowed. Care must be taken in cutting the sprouts ; run 
the knife below the surface and avoid injury to the 
other shoots. Palmetto and Argenteuil will prove the 
best varieties for almost any market. 

TOMATOES REQUIRE EARLY ATTENTION 

Tomato plants are started in hotbeds. Seed should 
be sown about the first of March in boxes or flats, 
which may be made three or four inches deep and of 
such width and length as may be the most convenient 
to handle. The boxes are placed on soil in hotbeds, 
which should be filled so that the boxes come close to 
glass. 

As soon as the plants have made the second leaves, 



SOME SPECIAL CROPS 47 

they are transplanted to other boxes and planted two 
inches apart. Two more transplantings should be 
made, the last time to cold frames and the plants well 
hardened off before setting in the field. 

The soil should have been plowed and harrowed 
some time before, and then disked and harrowed at 
the time of planting. Set tomato plants in checks six 
feet apart each way. Avoid planting on land that has 
raised tomatoes or potatoes during several preceding 
years, as there is danger of infection from blight. 

SPECIALTIES ARE FOR SPECIALISTS 

Celery and cauliflower are usually grown as 
specialties by men who have learned how to handle 
these crops. They require close attention to details, 
both as to culture and preparing for market. A deep, 
moist, black loam soil is needed. It must be well 
drained and a liberal amount of manure supplied and 
well mixed with the soil. Frequent and thorough cul- 
tivation is essential, particularly after each rain, to 
conserve moisture and encourage rapid growth. 



CHAPTER VIII 
Shall We Irrigate ? 

Irrigation of arid land has been employed from 
time immemorial and in practically every recorded in- 
stance the results have been successful to a degree al- 
most beyond belief. Only within recent years, how- 
ever, has irrigation been practiced to any extent in the 
humid sections of the United States. 

Nevertheless, commercial growers of fruit and 
vegetables in nearly every part of the country realize 
that there are periods in nearly every growing season 
when a crop could be saved or its value doubled could 
they but call down from the skies a soft gentle rain 
of sufficient duration to abundantly water the crop. 

After having provided all the other factors that 
go to assure maximum yields — good soil, pure seed and 
expensive fertilization, followed by thorough cultiva- 
tion and often by several applications of spraying ma- 
terials — we see our crops reduced to a minimum yield 
for the lack of the water when nature fails to supply 
it in sufficient quantity at the right time. 

Like many other ambitious truck growers, I have 
considered and planned or dreamed of a system of 
irrigation that would provide for a few acres of ber- 
ries, cantaloupes and other crops that produce high 
acre values. Truck growers whose lands are favorably 
located near streams or surface springs have been suc- 
cessful in furnishing water for small areas by installing 
a gasoline engine and laying pipe under or on the sur- 
face and extending through the fields. The water runs 
direct from the pipes or through hose attachments. 

48 




The Hotbeds Are Filled Closely with Sods 




The Plants Should Stand Six Inches Apart 







fa. ^ .^s^'.ii , *?-' 




'^y^ - 01"' ^'!f^*^ * 


^ 


^M^SUr 






j^M j|||I^HBK.'» ' 


'■■' I tBBBKI* 





Load the Seedlings Carefully on Flat Wagons 




The Plants Are Set in Hills 



SHALL WE IRRIGATE? 



49 



This process has proved profitable, in spite of the ex- 
cessive waste of water and the labor expense. 

The success of this crude system has led to an 
investigation of the possibilities of a practical and 
economical system of irrigation that can be installed 
at moderate expense and operated at a low cost. 

From these investigations certain underlying prin- 
ciples have been evolved the practice of which has 



JW'VVJ*^ 



-71 




A Field Piped for the Overhead Spraying System 



enormously increased the yield of crops as compared 
with the cruder practices of irrigation, A considerable 
amount of this study has been performed in the eastern 
half of the United States, which is not usually con- 
sidered susceptible of irrigation. It has been demon- 
strated, however, beyond possibility of doubt, that 
profitable crop increases can be produced under mod- 



50 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

crn and scientific irrigation, even in the so-called rain 
belt. 



TYPES OF IRRIGATION 

To one familiar with irrigation development in 
the eastern half of the United States, the practice ex- 
isting under some of the vast irrigation enterprises in 
the West presents something of an incongruity. Any- 
one accustomed to the careful, painstaking methods of 
watering employed in sections of this country is im- 
pressed with the gross lack of efficiency in those por- 
tions of the Southwest where water is secured only 
after the expenditure of millions of dollars in vast en- 
gineering undertakings, only to be irregularly and 
wastefully distributed over the field by an ignorant 
and careless Mexican peon, whose most efficient imple- 
ment is a hoe. In some of these localities modern irri- 
gation methods have been tried alongside those of the 
cruder nature, with the result that the yield has almost 
invariably been doubled. 

One of the essentials of effective watering is an 
absolute uniformity in distribution, so that each plant 
in the field will receive its proper amount of water. 
The result of irregular watering is shown on one hand 
in a field of ragged growth. In contrast with this a 
field of uniform and rtiaximum development in every 
plant is secured under a proper and uniform water dis- 
tribution. 

OVER-WATERING HARMS PLANT GROV^^TH 

It is equally essential that plants receive no more 
water than they require. The practice of over-watering 
some portions of the field in order that the plants in a 
more remote locality may receive water in a sufficient 



SHALL WE IRRIGATE? 51 

amount for their full development has repeatedly 
demonstrated its fallacy. Innumerable experiments and 
investigations have proved that over-watering is even 
more injurious than under-watering. 

Growers are beginning to discover also that the 
effects on the soil resulting from the various methods 
of watering are of vast importance to plant growth. A 
soil which is puddled and caked yields far less returns 
than a soil which remains open and free. Also the 




The Spraying System at Work 

reduced temperature of the soil through over-watering 
has been seen to retard plant growth. With all other 
conditions equal, various methods of watering will 
sometimes produce as much as four weeks' difference 
in the maturity of a crop, so that in addition to other 
advantages, a proper method of irrigation brings the 
crop into the market under early periods of high prices. 
Such are only a few of the underlying principles 
which must be reckoned with in considering the prob- 
lem of irrigation, and various methods and devices are 
employed to accomplish results which prove beneficial. 



52 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

THE SKINNER SYSTEM 

Probably the system of irrigation which has most 
fully demonstrated its merits for eastern conditions is 
known as the overhead spraying system. In a general 
way this system, which is commonly known as the 
Skinner system, consists of a series of lateral pipes 
parallel with the ground and parallel with each other. 
These pipes are placed approximately 50 feet apart in 
the field, and along each line are inserted a row of small 
nozzles, the construction of which is the result of care- 
ful and studious development. These nozzles are 
placed in a straight line, and from three to four feet 
apart, and are so constructed that they will throw a fine 
stream a distance of approximately 25 or 30 feet. The 
character of the stream is such that it is diffused in 
small drops before reaching the ground, duplicating a 
fine, gentle rain. Each pipe line is oscillated on its axis 
in order to cover the ground uniformly and thoroughly. 

For many years growers have in a small way 
sprinkled through lateral perforated pipes, but it has 
only been within recent years that the disadvantages 
of this method have been eliminated and the benefits 
developed until this system became commercially feasi- 
ble. The idea and devices of the system are protected 
by patents. It has been widely distributed, being in 
use in every state, and has demonstrated its practica- 
bility under the widest variety of conditions and on al- 
most every crop. A thorough study of irrigation leads 
to the conclusion that a light, gentle rainfall offers the 
most advantageous method of watering and this com- 
paratively simple system duplicates nature's way in 
supplying moisture to the crop. 

COST AND PERFORMANCE 

The usual installation will distribute about 40 gal- 



SHALL WE IRRIGATE? 53 

Ions of water a minute per acre, equivalent to an inch 
of rainfall in 11 hours. The cost of the system, ex- 
clusive of the pumping plant, is about $150 an acre. 
It is easy to operate, even in its cheapest form, but it 
has been developed to a point whereby all the lines are 
oscillated automatically from the pumping engine and 
a uniform water distribution is secured thereby, with- 
out any hand labor whatever. The system can also 
be used for spraying and for protection against frost, 
and provides what is probably the most satisfactory 
method of watering yet developed. 

It is the only device which produces an absolutely 
uniform water distribution which is partially or en- 
tirely automatic in its operation and which permits a 
water distribution intelligently and under the command 
of the user. Numerous articles by scientific users of 
the system have begim to indicate the benefits which 
can be secured by the correct application of water. The 
mere fact that a grower can arrive at exact knowledge 
as to what he is doing in his water distribution opens 
up a field of experiment and developments which has 
heretofore been impossible. The system is in use in 
units ranging from very small garden equipments to 
installations of 100 acres, and it is practically the uni- 
versal verdict that it will pay in increased returns every 
year an amount equivalent to the entire cost of the 
equipment. In taking this statement in consideration 
it should be recognized that most of the systems in use 
are on intensive growing, and while it is valuable on 
ordinary farm crops, yet the installation of this equip- 
ment invariably tends to the policy of growing crops 
which bring large money returns per acre. 

Numerous other methods have been employed to 
accomplish the results secured by the system above de- 
scribed, but up to this there has not come to the writer's 
notice any equipment which, for the same cost of in- 



54 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

stallation, will produce the uniform growth and de- 
velopment of the crop which can be secured from the 
above described equipment. 

When it is recognized that at least 500 pounds of 
water is required by the growing plants to add 1 pound 
of solid matter to its structure, one can begin to realize 
the importance of the proper application of water and 
can understand the reason for the enormous yields 
which have been produced under the most improved 
irrigation methods. 



CHAPTER IX 

Reclaim the Marsh Lands 

There are millions of acres of reclaimable swamp 
lands in the east central states that may be made to 
produce abundant crops. These lands can be drained 
and brought into a good state of cultivation with less 
labor than was employed by our forefathers in clear- 
ing the lands which now command prices so high as to 
discourage the present generation from buying farms. 

There are tens of thousands of these acres located 
near the best markets in the world, and this class of 
land is adapted to the growing of truck crops that may 
be sold in these cities, as well as to profitable dairy 
farming. 

The profits from 10 acres of such land planted to 
celery, onions, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and other 
garden crops often make the sales from the average 
quarter section of the Northwest look small. Truck 
farming a few acres of this reclaimed swamp land can 
be made profitable. The labor can be performed by 
the farmer's family. But a small initial investment is 
required for the land and a moderate amount for horses 
and tools. To the man ambitious to do things in a big 
way growing the several varieties of vegetables and 
selling in car lots ofifers a field of limitless opportunity. 
He has an unlimited market in the nearby cities and the 
southwestern states. There are, of course, seasons 
when some one crop may be grown at a loss. Grow- 
ing a variety of products, however, insures almost cer- 
tain success. 

There is no class of soil that will produce as much 
feed per acre in the form of corn for silage, or as much 

65 



56 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

timothy and alsike, as these swamp lands. Their value 
has been demonstrated, and with the organization of 
drainage districts by men who are competent for this 
work large areas are being reclaimed. 

The work should not only be thorough, but a fund 
for maintenance should be provided. Subdrainage by 
the use of tiles should be supervised by an expert, and 
every detail of the work well done. Trying to save a 
few dollars per acre on this part of the work is poor 
economy. 

In the cultivation and fertilization of this class of 
soil, our methods are the reverse of those followed in 
treating upland soils. The uplands lack organic matter 
and need barnyard manure and crop rotation to keep 
up the humus content and to supply nitrogen. Marsh 
soils contain a superabundance of organic matter, often 
80 per cent, but are very deficient in the mineral ele- 
ments. 

Marsh lands in the limestone sections of the east 
central states are usually well supplied with lime, and 
are not acid. The decomposition of the organic mat- 
ter, if drainage is thorough, provides an abundance of 
nitrogen. The phosphoric acid content is usually high. 
After heavy cropping exhausts the supply this element 
can be supplied with profit in the form of rock phos- 
phate or acid phosphate. 

Marsh soils are almost invariably deficient in pot- 
ash. However, this can be supplied at a minimum cost 
per acre in the form of muriate or sulphate of potash. 
With the knowledge we have acquired through the 
demonstrations made by the state experiment stations, 
I consider it a wasteful practice to apply either farm 
manure or a complete fertihzer to this class of soils. 
When we supply the one element, potash, we insure 
maximum crops. 



> 
o 

o 
o 

o 

n 
> 

w 

60 
> 
O 

w 

31 

5 
r 
a 



> 
> 

> 

n 

< 

M 
O 

cc 




CHAPTER X 
Qosts and Profits 

In estimating the profits secured from our crops, 
we are quite likely to select some certain season that 
has been exceedingly favorable and when unusual mar- 
ket prices prevailed. 

It is well, perhaps, to remember the fat years and 
forget the lean ones. However, to be of any value, 
data must be secured from the records of several con- 
secutive seasons. 

The following tables have been formulated from 
records of production covering periods of seven to 10 
years and from crops in which I have specialized for 
more than a score of years. In making up the tables, 
I have made the unit one acre. 

The acreage of the several crops has been as fol- 
lows : Strawberries, two acres ; melons, four and one- 
half acres; potatoes, five, acres; sweet corn, 10 acres. 

The products have been hauled to market by my 
own teams and sold from the wagon ; consequently, 
there is no charge for freight or commission. There 
has also been a saving in cost of crates, as some are 
returned or purchased for much less than the price of 
new ones. 

In going over my records, I note a large increase 
in the cost of labor, fertilizers, crate material, horses, 
wagons and travel expense. I estimate an average ad- 
vance on these several items of expense to be at least 
25 per cent within the last 10 years. 

In growing strawberries, my practice has been to 
keep the fields in bearing two years. Therefore, three 
years of labor, including the year of planting, will pro- 

67 



58 MAKING SPECIAL CROPS PAY 

duce two crops, and I have charged half the cost for 
three years to one crop, also one and one-half years' 
rent to each crop. Strawberries are marketed in 16- 
quart cases. The cost for crates, picking, marketing 
and miscellaneous expense comes very close to three 
cents a quart, while the cost of producing is only two 
cents. 

STRAWBERRIES 

Gross Receipts 

266 cases, at $1.28 $340.48 

Cost 

Labor $48.00 

Fertilizers 15.00 

Mulching 14-00 

Rent 15.00 

Picking and marketing 120.00 $212.00 



Profit $128.48 



MELONS 



Gross Receipts 

185 crates, at $1.30 $240.50 

Cost 

Preparing hotbeds $8.00 

Cutting sods and planting 4.00 

Care of hotbeds 4.00 

Transplanting 5.00 

Preparing land 4.50 

Cultivating and hoeing 8-50 

Crates 13.00 

Picking and crating 9.00 

Marketing 22.00 

Fertilizers 8.00 

Rent 10.00 

Total costs $96.00 



Profit $144.50 



COSTS AND PROFITS 59 

POTATOES 

Gross Receipts 

162 bushels, at $0.77 $124.74 

Cost 

Plowing $2.00 

Harrowing 1.00 

Planting 1.00 

Cultivation 4-00 

Digging _ 2.00 

Picking and sacking 3.50 

Marketing 16.00 

Fertilizer 13.00 

Seed 6.00 

Paris green 1.50 

Rent 10.00 $60.00 



Profit $64.74 

CORN 

Gross Receipts 

8,750, at $0.82 per hundred $71.75 

Corn fodder 8.00 



$79.75 
Cost 

Plowing $2.00 

Harrowing and marking 1.50 

Planting .50 

Cultivation 3.00 

Hand hoeing 2.00 

Fertilizer 11.00 

Picking and marketing 14.00 

Rent 10.00 $44.00 



Profit $35.75 



Index 



Page 

Ammonium sulphate 19 

Asparagus, best soil for 45-46 

cultivating 46 

planting 46 

Author's early experience 2 

Basic slag for fertilizer 22 

Cantaloupes 25 

best soil for 28 

fertilizing for 29 

growing for local market 26 

harvesting and marketing ....30-31 

starting in hotbeds 26-27 

transplanting 30 

Cauliflower a special crop 47 

Celery a special crop 47 

Commercial fertilizer for truck 

crops 15 

sources of 19-23 

Cultivation, tools for 6 

Cyanamid, discussion of 19-20 

Developing home acres 1 

Fertilizers, distributors for 24 

economic use of 14-15 

experimental plots for 18-19 

for truck crops 5-6 

how much to use 15 

Fertility, how to maintain 13 

Forcing early crops 8-9 

Garden tools 8 

Hotbeds for cantaloupes 26-27 

how to use 8-9 

management of 27-28 

Humus, functions of 16 

necessary for gardening 3 

Insect pests 11-12 

Irrigation, cost of overhead system 53 

common methods crude 50 

for rain belt 48-49 

Skinner system 52 

Kainit 23 

Lime 23 

Marketing methods 10 

Marsh lands, draining and develop- 
ing 55-56 

reclaimable 55 

Marsh soil good truck land 55 



Pa?B 

Nitrate of soda 19 

Nitrogen, sources of 19 

Phosphoric acid 20-21 

Potash for marsh soils 56 

sources of 22 

Potatoes, combating pests 44-45 

cultivating 44 

early planting 43-44 

fertilizing 42-43 

harvesting and marketing 45 

planting 43-44 

soil for early crops 42 

Profits, average per acre 57-59 

Seed selection important 5-6 

Soil, ideal for gardening 3 

humus for 3 

preparation, necessity for 5 

testing for acid 23 

type for different crops 4 

Strawberries a general crop 32 

crop rotation for 33 

cultivating and protecting 35 

fertilizing for 33 

picking and marketing 36-37 

planting the bed 34 

preparing land for 33 

profits of crop 37 

soil type for 33 

varieties of 34 

Superphosphates 21 

Sweet corn, tctilizing for 40 

for marketing 38 

market varieties 39 

planting 39 

profits per acre 41 

soil for 39 

Tankage for fertilizer 20 

Thomas phosphate powder 22 

Tomatoes, planting 47 

starting in hotbeds 46-47 

Tools for gardening 9-10 

Truck crops, profits from 57-59 

Truck farming a business 3 

Varieties for market needs 7-8 

how to choose 6 

Water requirements of plants 54 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




III 



000 928 473 4 




